If you want to eat fresh and tasty vegetables, then you might strongly consider planting your very own vegetable garden. You’ll also gain the satisfaction of being able to grow your own foods, get some sunshine and fresh air along the way, and benefit from the higher nutritional value for the food products.
Rather than purchasing store-bought canned, frozen, or even whole vegetables often devoid of juice, flavor, and texture, you’ll eat deliciously fresh veggies! Also, you’ll forego the added herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals that larger farms routinely use when growing their vegetables for public consumption. And there will be no added preservatives used to increase the shelf life like stores use.
Plus, you just might save some money, too, when you can go out to the garden to pick your vegetables, rather than purchasing them.
With all of these advantages, what’s holding you back? Let’s look at 5 of the easiest vegetables for your garden so you can start planning and gardening today!
Bell Peppers
There are many advantages of growing bell peppers. Typically red, yellow, orange, and green, bell peppers grow quickly (producing peppers within 6 weeks of planting) and thrive with sufficient sunlight and water. Peppers can be eaten either raw or cooked and enjoyed baked, roasted, and boiled. They are low in calories and loaded with vitamins especially A and C, and potassium, folic acid, and fiber making them an excellent addition to a healthy diet. Some of their most significant strengths are in helping reduce the risk of chronic and age-related conditions and improving heart and bone health.
Green Beans
Green beans are another easy-to-grow vegetable, whether planting pole beans, bush beans, runner beans, or yard-long beans. Green beans are versatile and are normally served as a side dish for lunch or dinner, potluck, or holiday meal. They are often topped with fresh herbs, nuts, onions, or mushrooms. They require little effort when planting and grow quickly in warm places with moist soil. In general, beans are low in calories (1 cup is only 30 calories) and high in protein for your bones, muscles, hair, and organ strength and growth. They are also brimming with vitamins, specifically A and B, and several minerals, especially manganese. This essential mineral (manganese) supports your metabolism and has antioxidant abilities to also promote bone health and wound healing. Green beans contain no cholesterol and are low in sodium, making them heart-friendly. The high fiber count helps to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and aid in maintaining a healthy weight.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes, typically bright red but can range in color from yellow to orange and purple, grow quickly in either cold and warm environments without any problem. Besides the noted colors, they come in a variety of unique shapes and flavors ranging from spicy to sweet. All of the varieties are rich in significant nutrients notably vitamin C and antioxidants including beta carotene and lycopene, linked to many health benefits including the risk of heart disease and cancer. Some of the more popular types of tomatoes to grow for beginner gardeners include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and green tomatoes.
Garden or Green Peas
Similar to a bean plant, peas grow very quickly and without much effort on your part. They don’t require any staking, any special kind of soil, or any specific type of environment. Peas contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which help protect your eyes from chronic diseases. They are also rich in the nutrient coumestrol that plays a role in protecting against stomach cancer. Being high in fiber, they help to move the food through your gut for easier digestion and also prevent weight gain by satisfying your hunger. Also, they are packed with antioxidants to help build your immune system and with vitamins and minerals to reduce inflammation. These nutrients are associated with lowering the risk of conditions like arthritis and diabetes.
Onions
Onions can add much-needed flavor and seasoning to your meals. They can act as a standalone meal, appetizer, or ingredient in a variety of soups, salads, and meats. Onions are a maintenance-free crop that grow underground. This vegetable can be harvested in a few weeks after planting and enjoyed raw, cooked, pickled, or powdered. There are many varieties of onions to choose from including the most popular choices: white, yellow, red, purple, Spanish, and Vidalia. You might want to experiment with several different types. In general, onions are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help fight cancer. They also help reduce the level of cholesterol and may break down blood clots, lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke. Onions are known to control diabetes and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Related: 18 Plants That Should Never Be Planted Together
This year just might be the best time for you to start gardening.
The first step is to select a few proven vegetables for you to grow. You might want to use starter plants rather than seeds the first year and then try seeds another year when you have met success with your vegetable garden and learned some gardening basics. In subsequent years, you can always add to the vegetables planted in your garden based on your own experience, preference, taste, etc. Kale, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, and carrots are some other vegetables known to be easier for beginners to grow and should be considered.
Undoubtedly, by planting a garden with a variety of home-grown vegetables, there are overall health benefits as well as added benefits to your daily cooking and diet. You are bound to get some exercise and sunshine along the way as you tend to your garden and feel a sense of accomplishment through the various stages of gardening from planting the seeds and plants, tending to it (weeding and watering), and harvesting the crops.
There are so many advantages to starting a garden.
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I am going to try this garden with straw bales.